ROAD TO RUIN
I was fined £1000s after misreading road rules… but I got the last laugh after entire debt was suddenly wiped
Check out the areas to be on the lookout for to avoid the fines
A MAN who was fined £1000s after misreading a road rule got the last laugh after his entire debt was suddenly wiped out.
Del Hudson, from London, faced a harrowing traffic ordeal after racking up thousands of pounds on his Honda Fireblade motorcycle.
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The driver was left on the brink of disaster after being slapped with threatening letters from Transport for London, he said.
Del's troubles began when he misread an email about setting up his London Road User Charging account after receiving an initial fine.
One single penalty was a staggering £2,000.
Del found himself buried under a mountain of debt.
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Suffering from depression and anxiety since the Covid pandemic, Del overlooked that his 2000 Honda Fireblade was non-compliant.
He said: "I have been riding my 900cc Honda Fireblade for years. It's an old bike, a 2000 plate.
"Since Covid, I've suffered with depression and anxiety, and when Ulez expanded last year I didn't even think about the bike being non-compliant."
Despite believing he had set up an autopay, he continued riding his bike unknowingly accumulating fines in the expanded Ulez zone.
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He added: "I rode it one day and got a fine. I paid it and TfL told me they would take money from my card for future fines, but I must have read the email wrong.
"I kept riding the bike, thinking the money was going to come out automatically, but it didn't and I got four more fines."
London's ULEZ camera-blocking dinosaurs who won't stop until hated scheme is scrapped
When the situation dawned on him, he faced threats from TfL mentioning bailiffs seizing his belongings.
The stressed Londoner claimed they were so many letters some were even lost to his dog's appetite.
He slammed: "TfL issued a warrant, meaning bailiffs can come in and take my car.
"Because of the stress, I just didn't deal with it... My dog ate two of the letters.
Where is London's Ultra Low Emission Zone?
THE Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, initially covered the Congestion Charge zone in central London, from the eastern edge of Hyde Park out to around Aldgate.
In October 2021, this changed and expanded to cover all parts of London within the North and South Circular roads.
Plans to greatly expand the ULEZ were ruled lawful by the High Court at the end of July 2023.
The expansion, which covers all Greater London boroughs was then put in place from August 29, 2023.
The ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 364 days a year - excluding Christmas Day on December 25.
Older vehicles that don't meet tight emissions standards have to pay £12.50 every day they are used within the ULEZ.
The charge runs from midnight to midnight, meaning drivers will be charged for two days if their journey starts before midnight and travels into the next day.
Generally, pre-2015 diesels and pre-2006 petrol cars, as well as pre-2007 motorbikes, face the fees but you can check if your vehicle meets the standards or not on the TfL website.
To drive in the ULEZ, petrol cars must meet the Euro 4 standards on emissions, and diesels, as well as larger vehicles, must meet the Euro 6 standards.
"If all seven fines were over £2,000, that's half my yearly wage.
"It really got me down. TfL is making millions out of people like us.
"They can afford to buy new electric cars, but I bloody well can't."
However, his luck took an unexpected turn when TfL decided to cancel of his fines.
He said: "I literally couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"I jumped up into the air and shouted for joy. I was totally elated and had the happiest day I've had for a long time."
Although TfL claimed Del's fines were issued correctly according to their procedures.
They acknowledge the distress caused and cancelled the fines as a goodwill gesture.
A TfL spokesperson told The Sun Online: "We are sorry for any distress caused to Mr Hudson.
"Following a review of his case, it is apparent that the fines issued to him were correct and followed our standard procedures in the absence of an Auto Pay account.
"As a gesture of goodwill, we have cancelled the outstanding fines and have advised him on how to set up Auto Pay."
It comes as an anti-ULEZ "Blade Runner" has pledged to not stop destroying cameras until Sadiq Khan ends its expansion.
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The masked man, who is going by the name Ben, is part of the group who have been tearing down the cameras which enforce a £12.50 daily charge in London.
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